Life of Air
Chapter 18
Lost and Not Found
All alone I fluttered across the sandy beach practicing my bending in the light of the moon, focused more on my skills in evasion than in attack. My best advantage is the fact that there are only a few people familiar in battling an airbender and one of the most familiar, Zuko, was on our side. I tried to use this knowledge to calm my nerves and allow myself to train in peace. Though I gave it my best effort, my thoughts were still swimming around the new knowledge I now possessed about myself. Since I was one of only two living airbenders besides the Avatar, I knew it was only chance that lead me to this destiny, it easily could have been my mother. I couldn't help but wonder why me? Why would I be chosen for this role?
Fear and worry constantly swam through my heart but there was a spark of excitement. This upcoming battle would be my first real chance to help change the world. Though I was unsure of my role in this entire thing, I was sure it was something I wanted to be a part of. Airbenders have always been welcoming of change and followed it wherever it lead us. This was what I looked forward to, bringing forth the change and following it wherever it took me.
I sighed, reminding myself to remain humble during times like this as I wasn't the only who who would be bringing change in this world.
"You sound like grandmother when you sigh like that."
Turning around I was faced with Tanro, he wore a smirk on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest.
I rolled my eyes and returned to my bending forms. "If you had as much to worry about then maybe you'd sign like her too."
"Who says I don't worry?" He asked.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw him move his hands and the sand under my feet shifted, quickly I lifted myself into the air before he could trip me up. Just as I flew up I spun my body forward, using the weight of it to aid in my bending, and a large spiral of wind shot towards my brother. He was pushed back but he used the sand to hold onto his feet and ankles so he didn't fall. Like a light breeze, I gently landed on my feet in front of him, smirking.
"You're far too easy, Tanro. Your moves have never changed."
He shrugged and stepped towards me easily. "If you want change you're going to have to find it somewhere else."
Crossing my arms over my chest I eyed him with a smile. "It wouldn't hurt you to change, it has to come to us all."
He laughed then, long and hearty. "I accept change when I want to, but I will fight it in every other instance."
Shaking my head I couldn't help but smile at my brother, having gotten used to his personality long ago. I turned away from him, looking out at where the ocean met the starry sky in the distance. Tanro walked up next to me and laid his hand onto my shoulder in that familiar brotherly fashion, giving me a comfort only he could.
"Are you ready, brother?" I asked, so quiet I wasn't sure if he heard me.
"I've been ready since the first day you ever looked up at me with those big searching eye." He said, he voice sounding far away from me and I wondered if he was getting lost in a memory. "I knew you'd bring us out of the dark."
I chuckled. "You were only 8 when I was born, how could you have been ready then?"
Tanro eyed me seriously and gripped my shoulder tightly. "I was ready to fight for your life then... and now I'm ready to fight for the life you deserve, for your freedom and your future. Little one, you've always meant the world to me."
Tears had started to build in my eyes and I quickly brushed them away, smiling. "I love you, Tanro."
He wrapped his bulky arms around me then and hugged me tight. "I love you too, little one."
The last day on Ember Island everyone was packing up to leave, loading up Appa's saddle with essentials. In my room I packed my bag with snacks and a container of fresh water, closing the container tight so it wouldn't ruin my drawing papers and charcoal. As I dug through the bag, making sure to empty out anything that wasn't necessary, I noticed a little drawstring bag that I wasn't familiar with and realized that this was what Yuji had stuffed into my bag before we left the Western Air Temple. I cursed myself for having forgotten something so important and opened it up, tipping the contents into my waiting hand.
Holding it up into the light drifting through the window I saw it was a piece of jewelry that was meant to be worn over the forehead. It glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, blue gems sparkling. The gems hanging off of it made the shape of an arrow's point and I felt a smile grace my features at the realization. Yuji had been collecting these sparkling blue gems from the walls of our tunneled in home. They didn't have much value to the rest of the tribe as no one was concerned with sparkling gems, more worried about making sure we had enough food and water to survive. He had made this for me, that I was sure.
With a hook and a clasp, I fastened the beautiful gift around my head and felt the cool metal rest against my forehead. Since I had ignored my mother's insistence at getting the traditional arrow tattoos all over my body, this was a representation of the arrow that my forehead lacked. I was sure that's what Yuji had intended for it at least, so I silently sent a thank you to my closest brother wherever he was. Not only did the gift look beautiful, it gave me the feeling of a connection to my family and heritage.
I turned my head at the sound of a knock on my open door, seeing Zuko standing there, his expression serious. "We're almost ready to leave."
I nodded, pulling my bag over my shoulder and taking my glider in hand, then walked up to him. Once I met him at the door he raised his hand, touching one of the jewels hanging against my forehead.
"It's a gift from Yuji." I said, answering his silent question. "I found it in my bag today."
He gave me the smallest hint of smile. "Beautiful. It suits you."
With that we left the house and met up with the others in the courtyard. Appa's saddle was full and everyone stood around him as he ate some hay. Everyone looked over at us as we approached.
"With you two here that's everything." Sokka said, his hands on his hips.
"No, it's not." Toph said, turning everyone's attention to where she sat at the waterless fountain. "Where's Aang?"
"You were the last one with him, weren't you, Iyashi?" Katara asked me.
I nodded. "Yes but I left him on that ridge and haven't seen him since. Shouldn't he have come into the house already?"
Panicked, everyone went off to search the house for the young Avatar. We regrouped outside, only having found Aang's staff inside but no other sign of the boy. We all left to check the beach but only found his footprints leading into the ocean.
"Do you think he was captured?" Katara asked, worry in her voice.
"I don't think so." Sokka answered, examining the sand all around us. "There's no sign of a struggle."
"I bet he ran away again." Toph suggested.
"No way," Sokka said, "he wouldn't leave his glider and Appa."
Toph huffed. "Then what do you think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?"
Sokka put his hands on his hips. "It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before and important battle? He's definitely on a spirit world journey."
"But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko pointed out.
Sokka slumped. "Oh yeah, forgot about that part."
"How do we know he could only be lead to the spirit world?" I asked. "Maybe the spirits lead his physical form to somewhere in our world that he needed to go to."
"We can't know that for sure." Katara said. "He could be in danger and need us. Let's split up and check all of Ember Island to make sure."
Katara and Toph went into town, Zuko and Tanro searched all over the beach, Sokka and Suki used Appa to fly around the Island, while I took to the sky with my glider. The first place I checked was the ridge I had left him at but he was long gone from the place we were meditating. I flew high into the sky to use a bird's eye view, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young Avatar, to no avail. I spotted Appa and followed him to the ground where everyone else was waiting on the steps to the beach house. Sokka and Suki leapt from Appa's saddle.
"Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm guess you guys didn't find Aang either." Sokka said to the group.
"No." Zuko answered for the group.
"It's like he disappeared." Tanro said after him.
"Has anyone noticed that Momo is missing to?" Toph asked, referring to the flying lemur.
"Oh no!" Sokka yelled out dramatically. "I knew it was only a matter of time! Appa ate Momo!" He pulled open the bison's mouth and started crawling into it. "Hang on Momo! I'm coming for ya buddy!"
"Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang." Katara said.
"That's just what Appa wants you to think!" Sokka argued and continued to crawl into Appa's mouth.
I resisted the urge to giggle at his antics considering the serious nature of the predicament we were in. With a gust of air under my feet I jumped up the stairs to land next to Zuko, setting a hand on his shoulder.
"Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here." The prince said, his tone serious as usual. "Aang is no where to be found and the comet is only two days away."
"What should we do, Zuko?" Katara asked him.
"I don't know." He stood and looked between the eager faces. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Well you kind of are the expert at tracking Aang." Katara answered.
"You have experience hunting the Avatar, don't you Zuko?" I asked, pulling his attention to me.
At Zuko's guidance we all took to Appa while he lead the bison off the island. He was silent during the flight, never telling anyone what his plan was.
"Zuko, I don't want to tell you how to do your job," Sokka started, "but why are we headed towards the Earth Kingdom? I really doubt Aang is there."
"Just trust me." That was all the prince said as he continued to lead Appa towards the Earth Kingdom.
During the flight I used the time I would otherwise be worrying to draw a photo of Aang from memory. Of course I was worried about the boy, wondering if he really had been captured, but something inside me told me that he was going to be fine. I wasn't sure if it was the connection between us or if it was my own hope leading me to that conclusion. Either way I held onto that feeling, grasping it tightly so as to keep myself from falling into a pit of despair I was sure would be waiting for us if he was really gone.
Once we finally landed Zuko lead us on foot to a tavern filled with people yelling, fighting, and drinking. It smelled of sweat and rot, as though this place was where the filthiest of people gathered so as not to be judged by others. I looked around curiously, eyeing the strangers and taking note of anyone we may need to protect ourselves from. A group of teenagers from around the world would probably look like easy pickings.
"And the reason you've brought us to this seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?" Katara asked Zuko, really speaking for all of us and our confusion.
He pointed towards a dark haired woman wearing dark clothes and makeup. "June."
"Oh yeah," Sokka said. "That weird bounty hunter with the giant mole."
"Mole? Her skin in flawless." Suki said.
"No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on." Sokka explained.
"Oh, the shirshu!" I exclaimed, grabbing Zuko's arm. "That's the one you told me about!"
He smiled down at me softly. "Yes, her shirshu is the only animal who can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world. It's our best shot at finding him."
A man started to attack June but she evaded his attacks with ease, even holding her drink as she dodged every hit, until she tossed the drink into the air and used her free hands to throw the man over her shoulder into a table. Just as the drink fell she caught it and downed it quickly.
"I don't know who this June lady is, but I like her!" Toph said, a huge grin on her face.
"I remember her, she helped you attack us!" Sokka said to Zuko, irritated.
"Yep, back in the good old days." The firebender responded, his words soaked in sarcasm. He walked up to the bounty hunter and we all followed behind him.
"Oh great, it's prince pouty." June said, barly giving us a glance. "Where's your creepy grandpa?"
"He's my uncle and he's not here." Zuko answered.
Her eyes flickered to us all again and then a small grin spread across her face. "Aww, I see you worked things out with your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"I'm not his girlfriend!"
Both Zuko and Katara shouted out, obviously irritated at the accusation. I looked between the two of them, fairly confused by not only June's statement but the reaction they gave as well. If my memory served, their experience with June was when Zuko had used Katara's necklace as a smell sample for the shirshu. I couldn't grasp why that would mean Zuko and Katara were dating but it was clear June was trying to pick at their nerves. Without really thinking about it, I stepped closer to Zuko's other side and took his hand in mine, putting my other hand on my hip and staring down at the bounty hunter with a smile on my face.
"Actually, I am his girlfriend." After speaking I grinned up at Zuko and watched as his face grew red at my words, clearly flustered by my sudden bluntness. This was really the first time either of us had given what we were a title and it felt good to have it out there in the open like that.
June let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok, sheesh. I was only teasing. So what do you all want?"
"I need your help finding the Avatar." Zuko answered.
"Hmm, doesn't sound too fun." She said and sipped at her drink.
"Does the end of the world sound like more fun?!" Zuko yelled, losing his patience with the woman.
"Uh, Zuko," I said, patting his arm, "maybe we shouldn't yell at her when we need her help." I turned my attention to the bounty hunter, my expression serious. "He's right though, the Avatar is missing and we need to find him before the Fire Lord uses a comet to destroy the Earth Kingdom."
June rolled her eyes and gave out a huff. "And why should I believe you? What are you, some kind of traveling dancer? A gypsy?"
I flicked my wrist and a stream of air shot from my hand, knocking her drink of out her grasp just as she was about to take another sip. "I'm someone who has been waiting for the Avatar for my entire life, now I know that without him the rest of the world is as doomed as my people were. So if you don't want to be one of the casualties you should think about helping us."
The bounty hunter eyed me for a moment then a grin spread across her face. "Alright sweet cheeks, you have my attention." With that she stood, grabbing a piece of meat off of the plate in front of her before walking to the door of the tavern.
We all followed after her outside to find Appa growling at the creature that had to be the shirshu. After a moment the bison licked the shirshu and they laid down next to one another as though they had decided to be friends. Jun waved the meat she had in her hand up in the air.
"Oh Nyla..." The woman said, her tone much sweeter than it was when she spoke to us. She tossed the meat to her shirshu who caught it in her mouth with ease, even though it was clear she didn't have any eyes to see. Then June hugged the creatures snout, rubbing her face affectionately. "Who's my little mmmm snuffly wuffly?"
I run up to the pair, air under my feet, and slowly started to reach out. "May I? I've wanted to see a shirshu ever since Zuko told me about one."
Nyla the shirshu shot her tongue out, almost hitting June and myself, but the bounter hunter and I were quick. I ducked down and she was able to close the creatures mouth. "Careful there, she's not so friendly with strangers."
I waved apologetically. "Oh I'm so sorry Nyla, I hope we can be friends some day. You're really quite a beautiful creature."
"Ok, enough smoozing. Now who has something with the Avatar's scene on it?" June asked.
From on top of Appa's saddle, Katara lifted up Aang's glider. "I have Aang's staff."
"That'll do, bring it here." June directed.
Katara handed off the glider and June held it out for Nyla to smell. After getting a heavy whiff of it she walked around us, sniffing the air as she went, until she had made a complete circle and dropped to the ground with her paws over her nose.
"Well what does that mean?" Zuko asked.
June knelt down and patted Nyla's head. "It means your friend's gone."
Toph gave a huff. "We know he's gone, that's why we're trying to find him."
"No I mean he's gone gone." The bounty hunter said, then turned her serious gaze towards us. "He doesn't exist."
"Are you telling us the Avatar is dead?" Tanro asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Nope." She answered, continuing to pet Nyla. "We could find him if he were dead. Real headscratcher, huh?" With that she climbed onto Nyla's saddle. "Guess that's all the business we have, see ya, sweet cheeks."
"Wait," Zuko started, keeping the bounty hunter from running off. "There's only one other person who could help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be back with a smell sample."
While Zuko was off digging through his bag, I walked a little closer to the shirshu and her rider. "So, June, my name is Iyashi by the way. I'm glad to have met you."
June shrugged. "I like sweet cheeks better, easier to remember. So how'd you tame prince pouty over there?"
I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand. "I didn't tame him. I like him as he is."
June scoffed but still grinned at me. "We'll see how long that last."
Zuko came back holding a smelly sandal out for Nyla to smell. Everyone around him covered their nose at the stench, including myself.
"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka asked, cringing at the smell.
Toph crossed her arm and grinned. "I think it's kinda sweet."
Nyla lurched forward and took a heavy sniff of the sandal.
"Let's do this." June said then pulled on Nyla's reigns enough to get her attention off of the stench of the sandal and onto the scene trail.
"Wait up!" Zuko called and we all jumped onto Appa.
Without even any guidance the bison followed the shirshu, as though he somehow knew this was the best way to help his best friend. Nyla ran and ran across the Earth Kingdom and Appa followed in the air, until the sky had turned dark and we came across a huge wall with a break in it. June stopped Nyla from going any further but the shirshu scratched at the wall as though she wanted something beyond it. Appa landed next to the pair.
"We're going to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked.
"Your uncle is somewhere beyond the wall." June answered. "Nyla is getting twitchy so it can't be too far." She then looked at me and smile. "Good luck, sweet cheeks. Hupp!"
With that the shirshu was running off into the distance away from us. I guessed June probably wasn't very interested in getting involved with the fighting that our group would be facing. I smiled and waved at them, hoping one day we'd have the chance to meet again.
Zuko gave a sigh. "It's been a long day. Let's camp and start our search again at dawn."
Everyone agreed with the prince, having spent the entire day worrying about our lost friend and not having much strength left. Everyone except Toph and Tanro used Appa's fluffy legs and tail to sleep on, not wanting to build an actual camp as we were really only there for a short rest. The earthbenders made their beds on the ground, probably much more comfortable on the solid earth. Zuko and I shared a leg, laying close to each other. He was hesitant at first, unsure if I was comfortable with him sleeping so close to me, but I reassured him that I needed him close tonight. I fell asleep with his arm wrapped around me and his warm breath on my neck.
A/N - Lots going on in life but I'm glad I was able to finally get this posted. Let me know what you think :)